The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-11
l V q.
LETTER OF HON. HADLEY D. JOHNSON.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah,
Canforobor 1897

LETTER OF HON. HADLEY D. JOHNSON.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah,
September l, 1887.
To Hon. 4. B. Carlton and Gen. John 4.
MCCIeTnGRd.
GENTLEMEN Your esteemed note of
August 18th has been at hand for some
DAYS, and after some delay, having
been somewhat indisposed, l shall
attempt reply to your inquiry.
You ask me, what in your (my)
Judgment will be the efficacy of the
Jaws of the United States. particularly
the Edmunds-Tucker act, in putting
stop to the practice of polygamy in
this Territory" (Utah?)
| have been somewhat acquainted
with a good many of the Latter-day
Saints, as they call themselves, since
the year 1851, at which time | located at
Council Bluffs, Iowa. at which time
most of the inhabitants of that place
and vicinity were of the Mormon faith,
and, although never having been suti-
GENTLY intimate with them to become
acquainted with the inside workings OF
their peculiar institution" l have not
been unobservsnt Of its outside effects
and influences,
The bill introduced into Congress pro-
Viding for Territorial government IN
Utah, became a law in 1850, and from
that time until 1862 Congress, although
doubtless fully aware of the open prac
rice of this offeuse (pOlygamy) in Utah,
failed to . enact any law pro-
hibiting the practice in the
Territory.
Even after the enactment of
1862, no efforts of any importance seem
to have been made to enforce 1t for
may years, the Mormons claiming and
no doubt believing the law to be uncon-
stitutional, and remaining unmolested,
continued openly to aVoW
their unlawful practices.
To test the Constitutlonallty OF e e
law of 1882, an appeal was taken to the
Supreme Court of the United States, and
that tribunal decided the law to be con-
stitutioual.
Recently, however, there
seems to have been a change in the ma
ture of the efforts to punish violators
of the law against polyRamy and un
lawful cohabitatiOn. By unyielding
and determined, yet humane efforts,
the law is now being enforced to such
an extent (that) the open and
avowed practice of polygamy is I'M
known here.
But you want my opinion
Therefore to be more explicit
| will remark, that if judicious, legal
and humane efforts shall continue to be
made by those having authority to en-
force the laws now in existence, IN
spirit of fairness and without apparent
or real malice, | am prepared to beheVe
that the peculiar institution may be
depressed in the not distant future, or
if not entirely suppressed, it will be-
come so unpopular that the younger
members of the church will Tepudiate
the system, and that as a
tenet of the Mormon Church, it will be-
come obsolete and fall into a state of
"innoxiouS deSuetude."
As YOU are aware, at the late Consti-
tutional Convention held in this city,
among the provisions adopted
by the body, was one providing for q
total prohibition of the practice of poly
gamy in the proposed state. There are
different opinions as to the good faith
of the members of the convention
some people holding that the adoption
of this provision was mere sham, in
tended to deceive Congress and the
people of the States. and by means of
this deception to procure admission
into the Union of the States, while
Others believe that the proposition was
made in good faith, and that If the
State should DE admitted the provision
would be carried out to the
letter. What might have influenced
the majority of the convention
!, of course have no means of deter
mining. All that l know is that some
of the members were and are sim
cerely DESTROYS that the system of po-
iygamv should be eliminated from the
Mormon Church. 1 say / kH"W such
10 be the case, but, perhaps, it would
be nearer the truth to say l firmly BE-
jeUe it.
once. or If those who claluor for leg
isIative commission succeed in their ef'
forts, the result might be different.
From what l have said you may
reasonably infer that 90 not thlnk
any change Is at present desirable IN thf
laws of Congress on this subject, Lei
the government persist IN just anC
vigorous effort to enforce existing laws
and, | believe, change will take place
for the bettsr-ODe which VIII TedouLC
to the interest and peace and happi
ness OF the people of Utah ana IL
time, when they become reconcledi
thew will be permitted to assume anc
enjoy the ines Unable blessings Of
statehood"
Very sincerely your friend,
(Signed) HADbEY d JOHNSON
TNorF The author of the 'etter contain
ing the foregoing extracts was On early ano
prominent actor in public affahs success
siyely IN Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska anC
idaho, and is now and has been Tor years
-acfdarrr # Salt Lake CitV.